How to certify organic coffee _ disadvantages of organic certified coffee _ how much is a pack of organic coffee beans

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Organic coffee bean certification

In addition to obtaining international fair trade certification, cooperatives use organic farming laws with the goal of protecting local water ecology. This sustainable agricultural law has also received organic certification in the United States, the European Union and Japan. Can be certified to prove that the product conforms to the principles and regulations of the trademark. Do not think this is easy, to obtain organic certification, especially the European Union certification, need to go through a series of strict monitoring and regulations.

As far as EU certification is concerned, owning this trademark (as shown) represents the following:

At least 95% of the agricultural materials in this product are organic.

Production is strictly monitored by law, and the use of antibiotics, chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers in the process is strictly restricted.

Organic farming strictly restricts food additives, processing aids and other additions.

The product contains less than 0.9% of genetically modified organisms.

What do the above points really represent? As ordinary people, what is the impact or change of choosing organic coffee beans in our lives? In fact, the positive impact on personal health alone is worthy of our support for organic coffee. Everyone should know that coffee is a plant, and crops produced under the strict supervision of laws and regulations are of course more reliable with zero pollution and natural harmlessness. Without artificial additions, the original taste of coffee will be purer and the damage to the body can be reduced.

In addition to having a positive impact on personal health, the impact on the natural environment, ecology and people's care is also more bad than bad. The reason why people in Europe and the United States appreciate and support organic products so much is not only to be healthier, but also to express their concern for our environment. Like Kopepi Ketiara coffee farmers' cooperatives, they produce in a sustainable manner, with respect for nature and the environment, which enables cooperatives to continue to develop while protecting the environment. Sustainable development also means that female members of cooperatives can have more development opportunities, and cooperatives can continue to bring quality coffee. This positive cycle can be said to do no harm to the whole ecology.

The organic certification system has probably been criticized most for the following two items:

(1) many coffees marked with "organic certification" actually do not meet the requirements. For example, inspectors from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) usually visit coffee plantations only one day a year, and they generally do not do soil testing (soil test) or organizational testing (tissue test) as long as they are not reported. As for the days outside the testing, only coffee farmers know whether they have committed any violations.

(2) the cost of certification is too high. In Costa Rica, for example, the annual certification fee for a 3-to 4-hectare coffee garden is US $700, which is only Costa Rica's domestic certification; if you apply for additional certification from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the cost is even higher. Therefore, some poor small coffee farmers clearly comply with all the regulations of "organic", but they cannot get certification because they cannot afford to pay an annual fee. On the other hand, there is no shortage of certified estates, but in fact they do not live up to the name.

In addition to the two most criticized points above, there are, of course, some other deficiencies, such as the frequent occurrence of inspectors accepting bribes and relaxing testing standards, which will not be discussed here.

Although it is difficult to promote organic coffee beans, it is still a road that must be taken in the long run. In particular, the rate of global warming has intensified in recent years, coffee has also been greatly affected, and conditions in many areas that were originally suitable for growing coffee have begun to deteriorate. Experts point out that organic agriculture can already alleviate the warming phenomenon, and the organic farming of coffee, especially the planting of shade trees, is one of the good countermeasures to slow down global warming. I sincerely hope that one day when all coffee is organic, then at least it will not be like today, when I am faced with "good flavor" and "organic" but can only choose one of two, I often make a decision. but there's a trace of guilt in my heart.

[note 1] in 1953, American scientist Norman Borlaug bred "Miracle Wheat" in Mexico, producing five times as much as traditional wheat seeds, transforming Mexico and India from wheat importers to exporters (for which Borlaug won the 1970 Nobel Prize). In 1968, the International Rice Research Center (IRRI) bred "Miracle Rice" in the Philippines, and its output increased by at least 2.5 times.

[note 2] Shade trees have many benefits for coffee trees, such as

(1) block the excess sunlight

(2) Protection of soil and water sources

(3) the cool environment under shade trees can reduce insect pests.

(4) Minerals in the depths of the soil can be brought to the ground through dead branches and fallen leaves to increase the fertilizer of the topsoil.

(5) provide habitat for birds and bats and control the number of some pests.

(6) it can reduce the temperature around the coffee fruit, thus slow down the ripening time of the fruit and give birth to more flavor.

[note 3] artificial herbicides and pesticides are never cheap. In recent years, for example, between 2007 and 2008, such products have more than doubled in many parts of the world.

[note 4] there are exceptions. For example, Kona, a famous coffee producer in Hawaii, is one of the few growing areas where shade trees are not needed because of the natural clouds that cover the right amount of sunlight every day.

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